ACT I.
HANK
All right, fire ahead. I guess you know what you're doing.
JONATHAN (_in assumed voice_)
"Hail, noble duke."
"All is well, I ween."
"Not very well, noble duke."
"What is wrong?"
"Queen Zenobia is very mad, noble duke."
"What is she mad about, Rollo?"
[_Uncle John enters suddenly._
JOHN
Jonathan--
[_He sees Hank._
What does this mean?
HANK
I'm seein' a show.
JOHN
You get out of here this instant.
HANK
I ain't hurtin' nothin', mister, but I'll git out if you say so.
JOHN
What do you mean by this, Jonathan?
HANK
I'll git out. Thank you fer the show, boy.
[_He goes out whistling._
_John crosses to the door._
JOHN (_calling after Hank_)
Come on, get out of here quickly.
HANK (_off_)
I'm out, mister.
JOHN
Now, Jonathan, what do you mean by bringing such people into this place?
JONATHAN
I didn't bring him in. He came up while I was working.
JOHN
Do you call that silly stuff _working_?
JONATHAN
I was getting it ready for Uncle Nathaniel.
JOHN
He's been putting that nonsense in your head, has he?
JONATHAN
He asked me to let him see all my plays.
JOHN
I suppose he told you to ask that dirty tramp in here.
JONATHAN
No, sir. He didn't see the tramp.
[_Hank is heard whistling._
_John crosses to one of the windows and opens it._
JOHN (_calling_)
You get away from there. Move on.
HANK'S VOICE
I guess the roadside's free, mister.
JOHN
We'll see about that.
[_Hank whistles._
JOHN
Jonathan, I won't have you waste your time on this stuff. I've been pretty lenient with you and I've allowed you to keep your toys because Emily spoiled you; but you're too big for such things and I'm going to put my foot down right now. I'm not going to have this silly stuff around.
JONATHAN
Uncle Nathaniel doesn't think it's silly.
JOHN
I'll decide what is and is not good for you.
JONATHAN
The same thing isn't good for everybody.
JOHN
Don't talk back to me, young man.
JONATHAN
I've got a right to think.
JOHN
Jonathan!
JONATHAN
If my mother was living, she wouldn't call everything I like to do silly.
JOHN
Your mother didn't know what was good for you.
JONATHAN
My mother was the best woman in the world.
JOHN
That will do, Jonathan. Your mother was my sister and I am not saying anything against her. But I do say that stuff must go.
[_He starts for the door._
JONATHAN
If this theatre goes, I go, too. I'm not--
[_John walks over to the theatre and sweeps the whole structure onto the floor._
JOHN
Now.
JONATHAN
You dirty coward, you--
[_John turns upon the boy and strikes him across the face._
_In mingled rage and humiliation Jonathan sobs wildly once or twice, then controls himself and glares violently at his uncle._
JOHN
I'll let you think about it. I'll leave you here with your toys like a girl-baby.
[_He goes out the door, closing it and turning the key in the lock._
_Jonathan runs to the door._
JONATHAN
You let me out of here! You let me out of here!
[_He pounds the door with his fists._
_Then he turns in despair and humiliation._
_He paces the floor a moment, not knowing what to do. Suddenly Hank's whistle is heard. The boy listens as though fascinated and goes to the window and watches Hank. Jonathan goes to his wrecked theatre and, taking it up, piles his manuscripts, the pink and the blue, on it. He hesitates to include one in the pile, offering once or twice to put it in his pocket, but he finally places it in grim determination with the others. Then he takes it off and stuffs it in his pocket. He stuffs the pile in the stove and sets a match to it, watches it a moment, then writes on a piece of paper, fastens it to the door. Then he finds a piece of rope on a packing case, moves the ladder under the gable window, fastens the rope to a peg in the wall, climbs the ladder, considers a moment, returns to the stove with the beloved manuscript, stuffs it in the fire, remounts the ladder and lets his weight onto the rope. As he disappears from view, the rope breaks and a cry and sound of falling are heard._
_The flames from the burning theatre and manuscripts flicker against the wall for a silent moment._
_The key is heard to turn in the lock and John and Nathaniel enter._
JOHN
Jonathan!
NATHANIEL
He's hiding.
JOHN
Jonathan!
NATHANIEL (_Sees paper on door_)
What's this?
JOHN
What does it say?
NATHANIEL
"Good-bye!... Jonathan."
JOHN (_Looks suspiciously at Nathaniel_)
Did you tell the silly boy about your running away?
NATHANIEL
I told Jonathan nothing about myself. You are the head of the Clay family and out of custom I respected your position; but, by God, John, you're a failure with this boy.
JOHN
He--
[_Hank enters carrying Jonathan in his arms. Jonathan is limp and pitiful. His clothes are torn. He is moaning pitifully._
HANK
He fell on the rocks out there.
NATHANIEL
Put him over here.
[_Hank places Jonathan on the bench near the piano. Nathaniel places the costume, which Susan left there, under his head for a pillow._
JOHN
What was he doing?
HANK
He was--
NATHANIEL
This is no time for questions, John. Call a doctor.
[_Jonathan moans and rolls his head, looking vacantly at Hank now and then._
JONATHAN (_moaning_)
Good-bye.... Jonathan.
JOHN
We'd better take him in the house.
JONATHAN
My mother was the best woman--
NATHANIEL
He'd better stay here until the doctor comes.
[_John exits._
JONATHAN
All on a summer's day--
[_All the time Nathaniel has been passing his hands over Jonathan._
HANK
He's out of his head, ain't he?
NATHANIEL
Perhaps, but sometimes one's heart speaks in a delirium.
HANK
He acts like his back's broke.
NATHANIEL
My God--his back!
[_Touches the boy's back._
_Jonathan winces with pain._
JONATHAN
My back's broken, Hank.
HANK
Listen, he's saying my name. We wuz pals, sure nuff.
JONATHAN
My back's broken, Hank.
_Curtain._